Justices turn away appeal of women who went topless at beach

FILE – In this June 20, 2019, file photo, the Supreme Court in Washington. The Supreme Court is leaving in place the public nudity convictions of three women who removed their bathing suit tops on a New Hampshire beach as part of a campaign advocating for the rights of women to go topless. The justices declined Monday to review a state court decision that found no violation of the women’s constitutional rights. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is leaving in place the public nudity convictions of three women who removed their bathing suit tops on a New Hampshire beach as part of a campaign advocating for the rights of women to go topless.

The justices declined on Monday to review a state court decision that found no violation of the women’s constitutional rights.

Heidi Lilley, Kia Sinclair and Ginger Pierro are part of the Free the Nipple campaign, a global effort advocating for the rights of women to go topless. They were arrested in 2016 after removing their tops at a beach in Laconia and refusing to put them on when beachgoers complained. Pierro was doing yoga, while the two others were sunbathing.

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